‘This is my story’
ACTOR, writer and first-time film director Aml Ameen is understandably overjoyed with his maiden project, the holiday romantic comedy Boxing Day which opened in UK cinemas on December 3 and will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime on December 17.
“I’m just beyond words that something that came from my brain has made it to the screens and will be in people’s homes for them to enjoy for years to come,” he told the Jamaica Observer in a telephone interview. “I’m also more excited as it marks my directorial début and is being so well received by audiences,” he continued.
Ameen, who is British-born to a Jamaican mother and Vincentian father, fashioned the script inspired by his own holiday experiences. The film follows Melvin (Ameen), a British author living in America, who returns home to London for Christmas to introduce his American fiancée Lisa, played by Aja Naomi King, to his eccentric British-Caribbean family. Their relationship is put to the test as she discovers the world her fiancée has left behind.
“I really wanted to tell a story from our perspectives. Too many times our truth gets misrepresented when it is told by others. Then there is that whole thing of representation. British holiday films never really look like us as black people. There is so much black culture represented in this one film. There is the African American culture, Caribbean culture and Africa — all there. It’s also in the music. Artistes from Anita Baker, Luther Vandross and Vybz Kartel are all there. Then there are the actors which is all multigenerational. That’s why it’s so great. I have persons who have told me they have watched the film as many as three times,” said Ameen.
He further explained that having conceptualised the film, he spent months dreaming of the look and feel of his project. He wanted to create a colour palate and establish what it means to be black on screen.
“The image of black opulence was important to me. I wanted it to be reflective of my open family and our experiences. So, everything you see is what it’s like in my house. My mom is from Jamaican and my dad from St Vincent so the banter in the film is authentic. ‘Wray & Nephew rum is water because St Vincent rum stronger’ are among the things that I grew up hearing in my own home. Family members drinking Red Stripe and the accents and culture had to be showcased in the best possible way. It also had to be reflected in the cast. I know I wanted an American actress who is charismatic and could carry the nuances of character. Aja’s name came up and once we met, I was sure she was the one.”
Ameen and his team also went for Academy Award-nominated actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste whom he described as a great light, adding a prestigiousness to the film and authentically representing the quintessential Caribbean woman.
He is confident that the story and film will become a timeless classic.
“The truth is that a lot of people are feeling [as though they are being] seen in this film. There is a whole culture that has never been seen before in the history of black British holiday films and romantic comedies. It is also coming at an interesting time. Storytelling is important at every level to expose the contribution of the three million blacks in the UK,” said Ameen.